Cofferdam frame



Nov. 6, 1934. s. A. HEALY x-:r A1. 1,980,055

COFFERDAM FRAME Filed Sept. 24. 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l i ATTORNEY NOV. 6, Q A HEALY ET AL 1,980,055

COFFERDAM FRAME Filed Sept. 24.11932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 -l Y l-I W )7].M0AAJ II ATTORNEY IN VEN TORS Nov. 6, 1934. s Al HEALY ET AL 1,980,055

COFFERDAM FRAME TIE-] BY M277.

A TTORNE Y Patented Nov. 6, 1934 I 1,9so,055

' COFFERDAM FRAME Stephen A. yHealy, Chicago, Ill., and Jesse J. McShane and Nels Carr, Davenport, Iowa; said McShane and said` Carr assignors Y to said Healy 'Application September 24, 1932, Serial No. 634,636 43 claims. (c1. (s1-s4) The present vinvention pertains to avframe for supporting the planking of a cofferdam for use in connectionw'ith construction operations vin rivers, lakes, and the like. Among the objects of thisinvention are to `provide means enabling the rapid constructionfof a coierdam; vto provide means rendering it possible to build a supporting structure outside of the water, as on abarge, and then place the structure in the water in po- ','sition to have the planking applied thereto, thus completing the supporting means for the earth, rocks, and the like, used in the cofferdam; to provide improved mechanism for the purpose indicated; to provide an apparatus of the charac- 15.' ter indicated which can be fabricated in units, which units can be assembled end to end during the fabrication of the cofferdam; to provide a rigid structure of the character indicated; and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in the construction disclosed herein. Our invention further resides in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and, while we have shown in the annexed drawings what we consider the preferred embodiment of this invention, we desire the same to be understood as illustrative only and not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of one structural unit of a cofferdam embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation, partly broken away, showing an external View of a partly completed structure in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 3 3,

IFig. 1

Fig. 4 is a detailed cross section showing the ymeans for connecting two units of a cofferdam together;

Fig-5 is a fragmentary section to show in greater detail a part of the present construction.

Reference will now be made in greater detail Ito the annexed drawings for a more detailed explanation of the present invention. In this 'connection reference will first be made to Fig. 3

showing a unit of our construction partly in elevation and partly in section. This comprises a ,plurality of substantially upright posts 1 preferably made from sections of I-beams. These posts are connected by cross tie members 2 of 55,;simi1ar form, connected at their ends to an edge of each of a pair of posts 1. We have shown these as being connected by means of angles 3 fastened in place by means of bolts or rivets 4. Secured adjacent the ends of the cross ties 2 are angles 5 which are perforated for the diagonal l brace rods 6. It will be seen that this gives a very rigid frame unit for the support of the planking 7 forming the side walls of the cofferdam.

Longitudinal I-beams 8 are secured to the outer faces of the posts 1 and thus secure together -a plurality of the frames described above.' These longitudinal beams 8 serve as an outer support against which the planking 7 rests and against which it is forced by the wedges 9 which are driven in between the planking and other I-beams 10 which pass through openings 11 in the webs of the posts 1. This construction is shown most clearly in Fig. 5. From the foregoing it will be seen that there is formed a very rigid framework into which the planks may be placed and in which they may be tightly secured by driving in the wedges 9.

As shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of units, such as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, are connected end to end to form a continuous support for the planking and there is thus formed an elongated box into which earth, sand, gravel, and the like, may be dumped to prevent or substantially prevent water from passing through the cofferdam. The means for connecting the frames to each other is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, from which it will be seen that I-beams 12 are secured to an end of each of the longitudinal beams 8. Any suitable means for attaching these I-beams may be used but we have found the angles 13v very suitable for this purpose. Bolts 14 pass through these angles and the webs of the beams 8 and, since the I-beams 12 are secured to the angles 13, this results in lsecuring the beams 8 and 12 together.

The ends of the beams 8 which are adjacent the beams l2 have similar angles 13a attached thereto by means 14 and to these angles are attached channels 15 of peculiar formation, as will be evident from Fig. 4. The channel 16 of member 15 and one ange of I-beam 12 are connected by sliding the two together, as shown in Fig. 4. From Fig. 2 it will be apparent that the two frameworks may be at different elevations without in any way interfering with the operation thereof. 'I'he planks 7 are put in place and driven down, generally as far as they will go, two layers thereof being used and thejoints being out of alignment, as indicated in Fig. 1. Wedges 9 are driven in to force the planks together and outwardly against the I-beams 8, the planks being tightened edgewise by suitable Wedge-shaped planks being inserted and driven down until all of the joints are made tight.

While We have indicated the use of Wood sheeting, it will be evident that metal may be used instead, if desired.

It will of course be understood that the specinc description of structure set forth abovezmay be departed from Without departing from the spirit of our invention as set forth in the foregoing specication and the appended claims,

Having now described our invention, We claim:

1. A cofferdam frame composedpf ra plurality of separately fabricated units to be connected in end to end relation, each unit comprising two laterally spaced series of substantially upright posts, the posts of one series being arranged .opposite those of the other series, vertically spaced ,crosse ties connecting the opposed posts of the-two series, brace rods .each connects@ at one `end to one end of .a cross tie ,and at its other end .to .the opnosite `end of another cross tie, said rods being diasoma-,Hy arranged and intersecting 4each other, horizontal vertically vspaced side rails secured yto the outer faces of the posts on both sides of the `unit, similar rails Carried by said posts and spaced laterally from ,the -rst mentioned kSide rails to form plank receiving pockets, and means on ,bQh ends of each unit for connection with similar units. y,

2,. A coiferdarn frame unit comprising laterally spaced substantially upright I-beani posts, vertically spaced cross ties connecting said posts, diagonal brace rods each connected at one end to one end of a cross tie and at its other end to the opposite end of another cross tie, said rods intersecting each other, vertically spaced longitudinal side `rails secured to the outer faces of the posts at each side of the unit, similar rails extending -thru the Webs of the posts at both sides of the .unit and spaced laterally from the first mentioned side rails to form plank receiving pockets, and means for securing the planks in xed relation between the side rails.

43. A cofferdam frame unit comprising laterally spaced series of substantially upright longitudinally spaced posts, the posts of one series being arranged opposite those of another series, braced crosstiesfconnecting the opposed posts of the series, vertically spaced longitudinal side rails secured to said posts at each side of the unit, similar rails carried vby said posts and spaced laterally from the rst mentioned side rails to form plank receivngpockets, upright I-beamssecured to one end of the unit at yeach side thereof, and channel bars at the opposite end of the unit at bot-hsides whereby similar units .may be connected by slidably ,engaging the beams of one with the .channel bars of the other.

lfs'IE1='nEi\I A. HEALY. JEssE J.V MCsHANE. NELs CARR.

IIB 

